Denis Leary making new hockey-themed TV series – & here are 12 NHL-themed shows that should be next

Actor and comedian Denis Leary is producing a hockey-centric new TV series for IFC – and we’ve come up with a dozen more NHL-related TV shows that would have viewers’ eyeballs riveted to the screen (or wherever people are watching shows these days).

News Wednesday that actor and famous hockey/Boston Bruins fan Denis Leary was producing for IFC a new series centered around an amateur hockey team should inspire puck fans to pitch more hockey-themed shows to TV networks in the hope they might get picked up and put on air. Here, I’ll show you what I mean, using titles of TV series as examples:

The Walking Dead An outbreak of a mysterious virus ravages the Sabres, Coyotes and Maple Leafs and leads to locals staggering aimlessly and dead-eyed in the streets in Buffalo, Arizona and Toronto. While death sometimes seems to be a merciful option for our heroes during such a bleak time, they bravely continue to search and hope for a place to settle and grow.

Justified Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher faces heat for a slumping Wild team that can’t get consistent goaltending, then trades a measly third-round draft pick to Arizona for veteran Devan Dubnyk. Fletcher no longer faces that heat. (Okay, this would be more of a one-hour special than a series.)

Shameless After another season that began with big expectations and ended with terrible results, the Oilers decide to not make any changes at the very top of the management chain. (Alternate title: Arrested Development)

Fringe The Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers describe, in excruciating detail, what it’s like to be sort of (but not really) in the throes of a playoff race.

Rizzoli & Isles Join Charles Wang, Garth Snow and Islanders brass as they scour the planet for anyone named Rizzoli (first name or surname) who can play hockey half-decently and help them get some decent mainstream publicity for their exciting-to-watch squad.

The Last Man On Earth A plague wipes out every male on the planet – except for Jaromir Jagr, who was saved because he was in a gym somewhere injecting himself with a sample from the fountain of youth. Jagr eventually catches and bypasses Wayne Gretzky for first on the NHL’s all-time scorer’s list, but the new record is unofficial, as nobody is around to confirm it.